MINSK, 26 November (BelTA) - The decision to institute the OPCW International Day will be made at the 20th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The session is running in The Hague from 30 November to 4 December, spokesman for the Belarusian Minsitry of Foreign Affairs Dmitry Mironchik told a press briefing, BelTA has learned.
Belarus first voiced the idea to institute such a day in the early 2014. The Belarusian initiative was supported by Director General Ahmet Uzumcu and the OPCW member states. The International Day of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will be marked on 29 October when the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons entered into force. Dmitry Mironchik noted that establishing such a memorable day will help the international community resolve a number of major challenges, including the universalization of the Convention, combating the emergence of chemical weapons, improving the safety of the chemical industry enterprises, and also the expansion of education and information activities of the organization.
The Belarusian delegation headed by Belarus' Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Belarusian Ambassador in the Netherlands Nikolai Borisevich is expected to attend the session. The Belarusian delegation will speak at the conference to voice Belarus' position on the national implementation of the Convention and international cooperation within its framework, and other relevant international issues.
